The Night Sky in November

Abstract

THE moon is new on November 11 at 7·9h. and full on November 26 at 21·9h. U.T. The bright star λ Geminorum (magnitude 3·6) is occulted on November 30, the disappearance as seen from Greenwich taking place at 2h. 22·8m. at position angle 102° from the north point, and the reappearance at 3h. 37·8m. at 282°. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are bright planets in the evening or night sky. In mid-November, Mars souths at about 18½h., Jupiter at 20½h. and Saturn at 22¼h. Jupiter is in conjunction with the moon on November 21 at 22h. and Saturn on November 24 at 1h. Uranus is in opposition on November 13, when its distance from the earth is nearly 1,731 million miles. Neptune, near the border between the constellations of Virgo and Leo, makes a near approach (about 20″) to the eighth magnitude star BD + 3° 2549. At about 21h. in the middle of the month, the Milky Way passes from the eastern to the western horizon through the zenith of London. The most distant celestial object that can be seen with the naked eye—the Great Nebula in Andromeda—is on the meridian at an altitude of 79°. Vega is the brightest star in the north-west quadrant of the sky and Capella the brightest in the north-east. The Pleiades cluster is well above the eastern horizon, and Orion is then just rising. The Leonid meteors should be looked for about November 14–16; their radiant point, preceding γ Loonis, rises about 23h. The meteors of this well-known shower are characterized by swift flights and their greenish colour. Light variations in the variable star Algol (β Persei) may be noticed about one and a half hours before and after the following times of primary minima: November 14d. 3·1h.; 16d. 23·9h.; 19d. 20·8h. and 22d. 17·6h.